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John WILLARD
(1773-1846)

and Jane GODDING (1774-1850)

John
Willard and Jane Godding were my 4x Great Grandparents.
(Click here
to see their place in my pedigree chart.) They married by licence on 7
November 1793 at the parish church of St. Mary in West Chiltington, Sussex.
John was then a bachelor and a minor of Bury in Sussex. Jane was also
a minor and of West Chiltington. The witnesses to their marriage were
Andrew Godding and Robert Willard. All 4 made their
marks. Their marriage licence was issued on the 6 November 1793 by the
Archdeaconry of Chichester which recorded that John was aged 20 years and of
Bury (3 weeks), and married with the consent of his father Robert.
Jane was also 20 years old and of West Chiltington (3 years), and she also
married with the consent of her father Andrew. Her name was recorded
as Jane Goddard in the marriage licence.

John Willard was baptised on 13 June 1773 in Pulborough, Sussex.
He was the son of Robert Willard
(1735-1811) and Mary
Wild (c1740-1792). He died aged 72 years on 13 October
1846 and was buried on 17 October 1846 in Pulborough. His cause of
death was Emphysema (asthma) 2 years and Peripneumonia notha (36 hours)
(inflammation of the lungs).
His death was registered by Sophia Willard who was present at the
death. (This was probably John's daughter-in-law, wife of his son
Clement.)

Jane Godwin was baptised on 15 May 1774 in Pulborough. She was
the daughter of Andrew Godwin
(1745-1812) and Hannah Henry
(1750-1778). She died aged 75 years on 24 August 1850 and was buried
on 28 August 1850 in Pulborough. Her cause of death as Asthenia
Senilis (weakness through age). Her death was registered by Anne Willard who was
present at the death. (Note, the spelling of her surname varied
between Godden, Godding, Godwin, Goddard and probably some other variations.)
Jane was only 4 years old when her mother died and her father didn't remarry
until she was 10 years old. I wonder who looked after her during the
day when her father, presumably, was working? Her paternal grandmother
may have been buried in 1781 in Pulborough and her maternal grandparents may
have been living in Arundel. Might she have been taken in by the
family of Thomas
Goddard and his wife Ann who had children
baptised in West Chiltington between 1764 and 1777?

When the 1841 census was recorded John and Jane were living in Maryhill, Pulborough along with their 7 year old granddaughter, Mary Willard.

John Willard and Jane
Godden had 12 known children:

William Willard was baptised on 22 June 1794 in Pulborough.
He died aged 85 years at Mare Hill and was buried on 5 February 1879 in
Pulborough.
A bastardy order/bond was issued on 2 September 1815 by Pulborough
parish to Esther Parker and William Willard, servant,
putative father. (Esther may have married William Turner by
banns on 14 October 1815 in West Chiltington. He was a bachelor
and she a spinster and they were both of West Chiltington. The
witnesses to their marriage were Charles Helsley and Hannah
Helsley.)

William married Ann Hopkins by banns on 13 December 1817
in Stopham, Sussex. He was then a bachelor of Pulborough and made
his mark. Ann was a spinster of Stopham and signed her name.
The witnesses were John Hawkings who made his mark and Richard
Steer who signed his name.

Ann was baptised on 21 June 1795 in Stopham and was the daughter
of John Hopkins and Martha Goble. She died aged 62
years and was buried on 19 April 1857 in Pulborough. (Ann's
younger sister,
Eliza Hopkins, married
William Hampshire in 1825.)

On 12 June
1824, Ann Willard was examined as to the settlement of 6 year old
John Hopkins of either Kirdford or Pulborough. John was
baptised on 3 November 1817 in Stopham and was the illegitimate son of
Ann. The 1841 census records his name as John Willard.

At the time of the 1841 census the family were living in Mary Hill,
Pulborough (Marehill) and William was a miller's labourer. In 1851
the family were living at Plough House in Pulborough. William was
then an agricultural labourer and Ann a plain needlewoman. The
1861 census records that William and his son Charles were living
together in Marehill and they were both labourers. Father and son
were still living together in 1871 in Mare Hill, although Charles was
then the head of the household and he was earning his living as a
gardener whilst William was an agricultural labourer.

William and Ann had 4 known children:

Charles Willard
was baptised on 8 April 1821 in Pulborough.
(There was another
Charles Willard born in Pulborough in 1821.)
Charles died aged 87
years and his death was registered in the fourth quarter of 1908 in the Thakeham registration district. He did not marry. In 1851 he
was an unmarried 28 year old agricultural labourer living with his
parents. When the 1881 census was recorded he was a
gardener lodging in the home of William H. Pierce in Mare
Hill, Pulborough. At the time of the 1891 census he was the head
of his household in Marehill and he was a gardener. Also with him
were lodgers, 71 year old William Pierce, his 59 year old wife
DinaW. Pierce, their 14 year old son George
Pierce and 9 year old granddaughter Daisy Pierce.In 1901 Charles was back to being the lodger in the home of
William Pierce and his wife Dinah Pierce. (William
Peirce married Dinah Willmer by banns on 30 June 1855 in
Pulborough. William was then a 34 year old widower and farmer and she a 17
year old spinster. Their fathers were named as William Peirce
and Edward Willmer. The witnesses to their marriage were
Ann Wakeford and Edwin Dale. William junior had
previously married Maria Bridger by banns on 22 December 1846
in Pulborough.)

Theophilus Willard was born on 6 March 1823 in Pulborough and
buried there on 9 March 1823.

Ann Willard was baptised on 14 March 1824 in Pulborough and
buried there on 21 August 1826.

George Willard was baptised on 8 June 1828 in Pulborough.
He probably died aged 1 year and was buried on 2 March 1830 in
Pulborough.

Esther Willardwas baptised on 31 January 1796
in Pulborough. She was also known as Hester.

A Removal
Order from Findon to Pulborough was issued on 28 July 1821 because
Esther, single woman, was pregnant.

John Willard was baptised on 1 October 1797 in Pulborough.
He was most probably buried on 4 January 1846 in West Chiltington.
The burial register noted that he was 47 years old and had been run over
by a waggon.

John married Lucy Mersh by banns on 11 October 1821 in
Billingshurst, Sussex. John was a bachelor and Lucy a spinster.
They were both then of Billingshurst and both made their X marks.
The witnesses were Ann Willard and James Champion who
both signed their names.

Lucy was baptised on 18 April 1802 in Billingshurst and was the
daughter of JohnMersh and Mary Burchell.
Lucy died aged 41 years and was buried on 29 January 1843 in West
Chiltington.

When the 1841 census was recorded the couple were living at Cobden
House in Sullington, Sussex, along with 15 year old Charles Willard.

John and Lucy had the following child:

Charles Willard was
baptised on 30 December 1821 in Billingshurst. The baptism
register noted his father was a labourer. He died aged 79
years in 1900 in the West Ham registration district.

Charles may have married Mary Ann Barker on 27
February 1855 at St. Andrew by the Wardrobe in London. The
1881 census recorded that Charles was born in Billingshurst and the couple were then living at 27 Tabenacle Walk where Charles was a
dairyman. Mary Ann was said to be 53 and born in Chipping,
Hertfordshire. Also with them were their children, Charles
(16) and Maude (11). Also in Tabernacle Walk in 1881, at
number 11 was the family of
Charles Willard aged 45 and born in Sussex.

Thomas Willard was baptised on 23 July 1805 in West
Chiltington. He married Ruth Mersh
in 1829. (They have their own page.)

Dinah Willard was baptised on 1 March 1807 in Pulborough.

Harriet Willard was baptised on 20 August 1808 in Pulborough
and buried there on 5 November 1835.

Jemima Willard was baptised on 7 March 1811 in Pulborough.
On 2 May 1829, Jemima was a witnesses to the marriage of John Giles
and Sarah Singley in Pulborough.

Clement Willard,
my 3x Great Grandfather, was baptised on 14 March 1813 in Pulborough,
at which time his father was a labourer. Clement married Sophia Older
in 1832. (They have their own page.)

Lucy Willard was baptised on 11 June 1815 in Pulborough.
She died aged 84 years and her death was registered in the first
quarter of 1900 in the Thakeham registration district.

Lucy married William Whittington by banns on 14 October 1837 in
Pulborough. William was a bachelor and labourer from Gay Street
in Chiltington. Lucy was a spinster and needleworker from
Marehill in Pulborough. Their fathers were named as James
Whittington a maltster and John Willard a labourer.
The witnesses to the marriage were William Willard and James
Overington.

William was baptised on 10 March 1816 in West
Chiltington and was the son of James Whittington (1790-1853)
and Amy Ferry (1790-1856).

When the 1841 census was recorded the family were living on North
Heath in Pulborough and William was an agricultural labourer.
The 1861 census records that William and Lucy were living at Rapleys
in West Chiltington and William was a farmer of 75 acres and employed
2 men. Also living with them in 1861 were William's brother,
unmarried 35 year old Maurice Whitington who was an
agricultural labourer and had been deaf and dumb since birth, and the
family of their daughter. By 1871 the couple were living at
Youngs Farm in Itchingfield, Sussex and William was a farmer of 17
acres. His brother Maurice was still living with them, as well
as their grandson William Evans and a boarder, James Knight
who was an unmarried 22 year old railway fitter.In 1881 the couple were living
alone in Chiver's Cottage in Shipley, Sussex and William was then a
farm labourer. They were still living in Chiver's Cottage in
1891, along with a lodger, Henry Munery who an unmarried 26
year old agricultural labourer.

William and Lucy had 1 known daughter:

Zilah Harriet Whittington was born on 12 August and baptised on
16 September 1838 in Pulborough. Her name was spelt Zella
in the 1861 census.

She married Alfred Evans. He was born about 1836 in West
Chiltington. He was a 25 year old carter in 1861. The 1871
census records the family were living in Gay Street, West Chiltington
and Alfred was a farm labourer. By 1881 they were living at
Danhill in Thakeham and Alfred was a grocer and labourer and Zilah a
shop woman. They also had a lodger living with them in 1881,
Henry Penfold who was an unmarried 32 year old agricultural
labourer. In 1891 they were living at Little Dan Hill in
Thakeham and Alfred was an agricultural labourer. Their lodger
Henry Penfold was still living with them, and also their 8 year
old grandson, Alfred Beer who was a scholar and had been born
in Westham, Sussex. By 1901 they were living at Picketty in
Thakeham along with their 11 year old grandson Walter Beer who
had been born in Hailsham, Sussex.

Alfred and Zilah had the following children:

William Evans was born about 1858 in West Chiltington. He
was 3 years old in 1861. In 1871 he was a 13 year old farm
labourer.

Matilda Jane Evans was born in 1860 in West Chiltington.
She was 4 months old when the 1861 census was recorded. In 1871
she was a 10 year old scholar living at home with her parents.
She married Arthur Beer in 1880. When the 1881 census was
recorded the couple were living at 76 Princes Road, Brighton and
Arthur was a platelayer.

Sophy Willard was baptised on 3 August 1817 in Pulborough and
buried there on 27 September 1818 as Sophia Willerd, aged 1 year.